A professional photographer sharing sessions and life in Northern Virginia
We spent several evenings while at my parents house playing Beatles Rock Band. We even got my up-tight father to sing a song while Anthony drummed out on the drums and Eric rocked out on the guitar.
I snapped a few photos of Eric’s boxer, Conner too! Isn’t he precious?!?! He and I are new BBFs.
When Anthony’s family came up to New Jersey to visit in July, he and his grandmother got to talking about how amazing their spaghetti was and they want to cook it sometime. The two of them finally got their wish and cooked some amazing spaghetti. Here are a few snapshots of them.
Anthony and I arrived in Oklahoma right before the big snow storm hit the northeast. I heard Princeton received upwards of 14 inches. I’m thankfully we got out early enough. We have spent the past week and a half visiting with family and getting between 10-12 inches of snow & sleet ourselves on Christmas Eve. A white Christmas in theory seems like a good idea until all church services are canceled and you cannot leave your home. We spent a nice relaxing Christmas Eve and day at my parents home with my mom, dad, and one brother Eric. We braved the conditions on Christmas Day to go see Up in the Air with George Clooney. It was nice to get out, even for a few short hours. We were able to drive down to celebrate Christmas with Anthony’s family a day late.
Here are a few photos of the snow – by the time I took this photo a few inches had probably melted. I have lots more photos to share over the next few days, including a birthday party for my nephew, Anthony cooking dinner with his grandmother and carving a turkey, a trip to Oklahoma City, Beatles Rock Band, and much more!
I hope all my readers, clients, and friends had a wonderful, safe, and joyful Christmas!
A few photos from PTS’s Carols of Many Nations
Proof that Anthony was there with me.
I love that chapel- I have so many fond memories there during my high school youth group years! Its such a special time of year, thanks for sharing!
Very nice Kim!
When my mom was in town last weekend, we got some gorgeous flowers at Trader Joe’s. They are Christmas colors and I felt it was appropriate to put them in front of our Christmas tree. I must say that I’m totally in love with the two lenses I purchased while in NYC last Friday. They produce that gorgeous bokeh that you see behind the flowers. Yum-o!
I was adventurous last week and made homemade red velvet cupcakes. The frosting I ended up using was a complete wash, so I gave them another try this week. I did a slight variation on her cream cheese frosting – and I’m proud to say this was my first successful attempt at homemade frosting/icing.
Red Velvet Cupcakes – from Apple A Day – originally from Cake Man Raven – I got 24 cupcakes
2 1/2 c. cake flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 TBSP cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. buttermilk
2 TBSP (1 oz.) red food coloring
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. white distilled vinegar
Preheat oven to 350°.
Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl.
Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Divide batter evenly between 3 greased and floured 8″ round cake pans (or a lined cupcake pan).
Bake cakes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 25–30 minutes. Let cakes cool 5 minutes, then invert each onto a plate, then invert again onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely.
Sugar Cream cheese frosting – adapted from Joy the Baker
3/4 cups butter, softened
4oz cream cheese, softened
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2-4 cups powdered sugar
1-3 tablespoons milk
depending on desired consistency
Cream the cream cheese in an electric mixer for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and add the butter, beating for 1-2 minutes, or until incorporated. Be sure that the two are at room temperature. Cold cream cheese or butter can make your frosting lumpy.
Add the sugar, pinch of salt and vanilla extract, and beat until incorporated.
Turn off mixer and add 2 cups of powdered sugar. Turn the mixer on a low speed so the sugar doesn’t fly out of the bowl. Slowly add more sugar alternately with the milk until you reach your desired consistency.
Love the first pic of the flowers with the bokeh!
Those look yummy!
Last weekend my mom came to visit from Oklahoma. We did lots of Christmas-type things, including a Christmas Carols sing-along at our church St. David the King and NYC. Here are a few random photos we took while in Central Park and around town. We stayed FAR away from the normal holiday hotspots around town, since last year we hit up the Rock twice in one week. I didn’t want to brave those kinds of crowds to see that big tree.
There is always something funny about doing a pensive, looking upward photo, so we all did them.
Can you see the crowd of people outside Macy’s? It was wild to see them all go across the street with the lights lite up.
Haha! I love these! That first pic of you is awesome!!!!!! Your mom is so cute, too!
I love all of these! You are so talented Kim! && your mom is soooo beautiful <3
These are so fun! Looks like a great time!
I love that one photo of your mom – she is beautiful!!!
So pretty!!!! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and I look forward to seeing more pictures. Merry Christmas!